IllustrationVEHICLE WANDERS WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH OR MORE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY DEALER, BUT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. * POWER STEERING MOVED IRRATIONALLY CAUSING THE DRIVER TO MOVE INTO OTHER LANE. *AK
1997 Chevrolet Silverado
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Silverado years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado are substantially higher than the model-year median of 76.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 64 of 272 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports6 fire reports13 injury reports
Suspension complaints
19 reportsVEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHES 30 MPH OR MORE. VEHICLE BEEN INSPECTED ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. CAN NHTSA HELP OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AND PICKING UP SPEED, THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO WANDER TO THE RIGHT. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE SEVERELY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT A WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS NEEDED.*ADJ
THE STEERING HAS "TOO MUCH PLAY IN IT" WHICH CAUSES STEERING DIFFICULTY. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL GO TO THE RIGHT WHICH MAY CAUSE CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE SENSOR WHEEL ROTATION WHICH CAUSES VEHICLE TO WANDER TO THE RIGHT. DEALER SAYS THE VEHICLE WAS FIXED DURING THE FIRST WEEK IN MAY 99. PROBLEM STILL EXIST.
FRONT ROTORS FAILED CAUSING WARPING. *YC
WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL FAILED.
NOISE IN THE FRONT END SUSPENSION CONTINUALLY.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.